Language help

What's the easiest phrasebook / language tapes to learn a few words of hindu from as i find it helps break the ice when meeting people as they invariably try to correct the pronounciation and it usually invokes a fit of the giggles from both parties involved as we resort to sign language and gesticulating wildly, and it helps to chase touts and unwanted attention.

Amazon has it as now as a new version called "Teach Yourself Hindi Complete Course", though I am unclear if the new version has any audio cassettes.

The version I have is the older version with two cassettes that they list as out of print.

It is a hefty volume of learning and I found it useful up until about chapter three or four when it starts assuming that you are learning the Devangari script along with the book.

If you really want to learn to write and read Hindi this is for you. Personally I found it a challenge, but then again I am getting older and it's hard to get anything to sink into this thick skull of mine.

Mike

ps...I have been meaning to do a basic Hindi learning guide for this site and this thread has me thinking I should get started on it.

What does "babu" mean?

Here's one for you experienced Indiaphiles...

What does the term "babu" mean? All of the men in the in the Bollywood flicks seems to be refered to as <insert name> - babu! From the context I get the impression it could be some sort of slang honorific like "pal" or "buddy"... Spent the last 20 minutes Googling this one to no avail. Please enlightem me.

I think that Babu means "father" or "grand father" in an familiar way (like "papa" in French, for example), but it is also used contemptuously to designate (corrupt) bureaucrats on a position of power (to whom you come, like to a "father" to get some favors - the "fat babu")

On the other hand, I noticed that many Indian's name seems to be Babu. Does it have the same root, I have no clue?

I think that the "ji" is a diminutive used in an affectionate way (or pseudoaffectionate as a formal form of communication). Like Gandhiji (little Gandhi).

I think the closest word in Englisg for "babu" is "sir". It is usually not slang but is a honorific title for some one who is older or senior to you. In North India, "bau" is a common noun and in traditional and conservative organisations an employee would call his boss "babu". Domestic help would also refer to their employers as babu. Sometimes, children refer to their father or grand father as "babu".

In West Bengal "babu" could also refer to any clerk / junior government bureaucrat.

babu= common name in south india & south indian movies.
babu= 'Mr' in some parts of north india (UP)
babuji= a form of addressing an elder, yr. boss, senior citizen(in terms of pecking order in the local social fabric) & indian movies.
babuji= papa,dad, father in parts of northindia & indian movies.
Babu=clerical staff in indian government offices.
Babu= a sort of derogatory term used to describe the whole bunch of bureaucrats who run the show characterized with red tape and file pushing. This here encompasses the whole range from the lowly clerk to the secretary level(example the home secretary, foreign secy, finace secy..etc..).
Babu= that bureaucrat in the series 'Yes Minister'.
Babu= Is not used while referring to an efficient Bureaucrat. Though basically.....Like when u say " goddamn politicians...for bureaucrats u say 'bloody babus'.
Babudom= is the kingdom in which all the babus in india live and ruin...err run the indian life, railways, postal services, government.....

One of the most nightmarish episodes of my travels in India took place in Nagore (Nagur), the Muslim holy city on the coast in Tamil Nadu. Since Muslims so emphasize charity, and the mosque complex feeds many of the poor that come from far away, the place was full of beggars. After leaving the mosques, in the one block it took us to find our driver, who was waiting for us, we were followed by hordes of crippled beggars screaming "babu, babu" and pulling at our clothes.

Even after we climbed in the taxi, their distorted hands kept coming in the partially rolled up windows and clawing at the glass. It was like something out of a horror movie, but we also felt dirty, unfairly privileged, even resentful that our driver was mistreating this mob of unfortunate, repulsive people. It was certainly the most immediate and intense contact with human misery on that scale that I have ever had.

In hindsight I am grateful for the experience, but I never thought of looking up the meaning of the word, maybe because I felt scarred by the event. Thank you for the explanations.